SHIPPING & RETURNS

Shipping

Orders ship in 1-2 weeks.

Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These fees are the buyer's responsibility. If you need to, please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs may be prior to buying.

I won’t accept orders placed to be shipped to an intermediary shipping company. (No JAC, for example.) They will be canceled immediately.

I only accept orders where the buyer and shipping address are the same. If you are sending it to someone else as a gift, PLEASE make a note in the order. If you have a relative who lives in the US, and you want me to ship it to them to bring to you when they visit you, you must spell out and acknowledge that person as the “recipient” of the item in the order notes. If you don’t do this, I will cancel your order immediately, without notifying you first.

Orders with a different name on the buyer's address and shipping address, and no explanation in the order notes, will, likewise, be cancelled immediately.

Domestic Buyers:

I ship Priority Mail with full insurance for the order value, and adult signature required, only.

There is no money-back guarantee on postage for items that take too long to arrive.

If more than fifteen (15) and no more than sixty (60) business days have passed since the shipping date for "Priority Mail, and the package is still missing, call (+1) (800) 222-1811, and tell the USPS what happened. The postal employee you speak with will counsel you on what to expect/do next. After that conversation occurs, email me.

International Buyers:

1. "Tracking" information may be spotty/non-existent if you requested First Class. You will most likely receive a customs number, not a true tracking number. It may provide some locational transparency, but it can't be relied upon.

2. True tracking numbers are important because in the event of a lost package or any other type of claim, the customs number won’t hold up.

3. Priority shipping may or may not be faster than First Class. In principle, it should be, but that’s not my experience 100% of the time. It’s supposed to be 6-10 business days, depending on the country, and if it doesn’t arrive by the promised time (which is dependent on shipping date, of course, not the date you place your order), and you live in one of the countries listed in 221.2 on this document:

…then we might be able to get a refund on the postage. If the Post Office doesn’t feel like making life too hard for us that day.

4. The customs form for First Class shipping has a maximum number of item lines of FIVE. Priority has a limit of 999. If you order more than 5 different items and ask for first class, I won't be able to fill out the customs form, I won’t be able to ship your item, and I will need to cancel your order immediately.

5. International first class packages over $125 will be supported as of November, 2017.

6. If your international First Class package does not arrive, and you’ve been waiting at least 40 days since shipment, let me know, and I’ll file a claim.

I don’t know how long the claim will take. I won't be able to tell you.

I have seen First class packages take as long as 12 weeks to arrive. No joke.

If the claim is successful, after I get paid, I will refund your money. In the mean time, remember, it can appear at any time. USPS, all things considered, is actually pretty good.

If more than ten business days have passed since the shipping date for "Priority Mail Express International and you live in one of the countries mentioned in the most up to date form of this document:

http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc2_006.htm

Call (+1) (800) 222-1811, and tell the USPS what happened. We’re entitled to have that postage refunded. If the package was received, but received late, that is one matter, and all we’re seeking is a refund for the staggering money we had to spend. If the item still hasn’t arrived, that’s a totally different matter, and the postal employee you speak with will counsel you on what to expect/do next. If your country is not on the aforementioned list, ask the agent for counsel. After your conversation occurs, email me.

7. If you have the option, please remember to take into account the level of risk you are willing to sustain and choose your shipping plan wisely.

8. I do not have a storefront, and I am not open to the public, and I don’t do in-person “delivery”. So showing up at my place and hassling me to sell you a pen without a very sizeable ($200+) bribe is not going to work.

Returns:

I want you to be satisfied customer and if there is any kind of problem with the functioning of your items, I will work with you to find a solution that makes you happy.

There is a 21 day return/replacement policy (from shipping day) for defects in writing function.

If your merchandise was damaged in transit, send proof of damage (so if you shipped Priority, I can get insurance to cover my costs, if you ordered first class, we're stuck) and I will replace the item if it is in stock. If the item is not in stock, you will receive a full refund of your transaction.

"Seconds", clearance, One-Offs: Sold as is, no returns.

But what if it leaks or is defective?

The first thing we have to do is rule out user error. These pens were designed to work well, out of the box and without any modification, but that doesn't mean nothing can go wrong. If there is trouble, and you’ve seen the troubleshooting page, and you’ve watched any relevant videos, and you read the troubleshooting part of the manual that came with your pen, then that means I screwed up, and I can send you a replacement section, nib and feed.

The pen bodies, on the other hand, are separate from the functioning parts of the pen, and I don’t offer returns on them unless they were damaged in shipping. See above.

Repairs for non-defective pens?

If you damage your pen, tell me what happened, and I'll see if we can't work something out.

What if I’m unsatisfied with writing results?

(This section pertains to pens with flex nibs.)

These pens are high performance, and unlike normal fountain pens–by their very nature, dip nibs in a fountain pen are capable of extraordinary results, but if you have never used one before, there is an undeniable learning curve. If you are unsatisfied with the immediate results of your pen, the first thing we’ll need to rule out is a malfunction of the nib or the pen. If those things look good, we’ll have to talk about the possibility of user error. While nearly impossible to diagnose over the phone or via email, it can be easily remedied if I could see what you’re doing. If you’re not getting the results or experience you want, and other things haven’t worked, please consider making me a short video so I can see how you’re doing your work. That usually clears things up quickly.

For example, if you find the nib “scratchy”, we have to rule out a defective nib or inappropriate paper, or a faulty writing surface. If, after correcting for those variables, the nib is still scratchy, we have to look at the user experience. What kinds of nibs are you used to? If the only other fountain pens you own have vintage pure iridium tipped 14k gold nibs smoothed and perfected by a nib master, then that’s our problem. These are high performance pens; that would be like driving a high powered sports car, and saying that it has hard-to-control acceleration. These things require practice. Similarly, if you send me a video of you writing and the nib is upside down, or you’re pushing on upstrokes, or holding the pen at 90º to the paper, I’ll be able to steer you in the right direction.

I really want you to have a positive experience with my company, so I’ll work with you to find a solution that makes you happy. If there is any doubt in your mind about whether modern vintage flex is for you, invest a few dollars, and consider buying a packet of nibs you’re interested in with a simple holder and try them out for yourself.